No Use Crying Review

Title: No Use Crying

Author: Zannah Kearns

Release Date: 1^st September 2011

Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

The discovery of a grandfather Niki thought had died years ago means a sudden move to London and the start of a whole new life.

Niki has to learn quickly to fit in and survive in the school halls and on the tough streets. And at the same time she must get to know her granddad and come to terms with the fact that her mum has been hiding the truth.

But when Niki suddenly discovers her mum’s biggest lie of all, could it change their relationship – and Niki’s own sense of identity – for good?

Well, this was a surprise read! While the story is by no means light, the plot was engaging and kept me on my toes.

Niki is surrounded by people who have lied to her and throughout the novel she struggles to understand how they believe they all had her best interests at heart. From the little white lies to the big, life changing revelations, the novel reveals the truth in snippets throughout. I cried a little at the end, so keep a box of tissues handy as everything comes to a head for Niki and it is hard to determine whether the novel has a happy ending or not- read the book and judge for yourself. So much happens in the last two chapters and it is hard to keep up. However, there are questions left unanswered (such as, does Niki ever fall for bad boy Tyrone?) but it meant that I could fill in the gaps (of course she does!)

The way in which the novel is written, taking on board the feelings of older generations, Niki’s mother, Angela and grandfather, Robert, is really interesting and allows the reader to experience the anguish faced by all the characters. It was nice to be given an explanation to why certain characters had made certain decisions and how this had impacted on Niki’s life. My favourite character was definitely Robert who knows he has made mistakes in his life and wants to try and make amends.

The characters are brilliantly constructed and the use of dialect really brings them to life. The novel also introduces gang culture in a subtle but thought provoking way, allowing the reader to experience briefly the dangers without detracting from the main story.  Similarly, Niki learns about the cultures of the other people around her and I felt this really added to the enjoyment of the story. Angela and Niki move away from where they feel comfortable and being uprooted, Niki struggles to fit in at school and has to adapt to the new situation, making friends with people she would usually avoid.

Overall the novel is really colourful and full of twists and turns, completely unpredictable. What Niki believes to be true and what she finds out to be true are vastly different and the plot deals with Niki’s attempts to come to terms with this. Like many teens, she wants to know where she fits in in the world and finds moving from one place to the next because of her mum’s job, unsettling. The novel makes it clear how Niki’s personality changes as she finds out the truth and begins to keep secrets of her own. No Use Crying deals with Niki and Angela’s return to their roots and shows how, despite everything, family will always try to protect one another.

4/5 Expect the unexpected!

Special thanks to Frances Lincoln Children's Books for sending me a copy of the book.